A total of 43 carpenters put their best foot forward in a special competition held by the Palace Museum in Beijing on Sunday, striving for an opportunity to participate in the renovation work of the ancient palace.

All the contestants were required to operate using traditional Chinese measures of construction. Most of the ancient Chinese buildings are wooden frame structures, and the basic unit is known as Sun-Mao – all parts interlocked with each other to support the whole building.

Nails, on the other hand, are not so frequently used. As a result, such structures require highly-skilled carpenters.

It is not the first time the museum has held such a competition. Earlier this year, a similar competition for tillers was held, and in the coming year, an event will also involve painters.

According to Shan Jixiang, curator of the Palace Museum, the purpose of organizing such competitions is to innovate the structural barrier in relics preservation and renovation.

Shan said that previously, the museum also tried the bidding model for such renovations. However, most companies focused only on the economic profits rather than paying enough attention to the high quality required in the renovation of ancient relics.